[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6650427,"mediaKeyId","2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a","parentId",2508171,"title","Committee hears bill to restore COVID-era option letting firefighter drive ambulance when EMT staffing is low","audioSeconds",684,"startMs",210000,"endMs",894000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a&start=210&end=894","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a/thumbnail_210000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6650427/New-Hampshire/Committee-hears-bill-to-restore-COVID-era-option-letting-firefighter-drive-ambulance-when-EMT-staffing-is-low","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650427-7fd7fc9dcd4c1e11dfb559fb1013a96f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205628&Signature=fztPXqITfGRWAaeEwXOgXfZBDjg~KyoaoYfLMQk047mudsrfPxAhtl9jjnFScM00KPb71KjWcVsu5M5qksrkd~0Jp2FJBch36xyHy6Hhnz2IPjfGn6pSuGGmJZxc84ixZFrW~4f0CeIjeU3B-6oot1SldSAKdxK2jVJUucfFSsBTz130cKR-dUbhSrGzHgqBm1OsQviorGDuasqzE-V1YJuEIX2mDvmrm1Ikrli0aKpMwZW2SpQArV~IZSor7iasYbpzM4Mo7WVHyJNbRoKQOf34By43-aTi2rNacbyuAlNKhXkqdNeNJNL-qKsVJznhu~eFavmgDuYVX~0bzWq1mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-03-05T20:42:11.793Z","article","Representative Jennifer Rhodes, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the House Committee on Health and Human Services and Elderly Affairs that the measure grew out of requests from local volunteer fire chiefs struggling to staff emergency medical service (EMS) calls.

“This is not my wheelhouse,” Rhodes said, identifying herself and explaining the bill came from a constituent and local fire chief. She told the committee that an emergency order during the pandemic allowed one provider to care for a patient while another person — often a firefighter — drove the ambulance, and that smaller towns still face staffing shortages that make that flexibility useful.

The bill would reinstate by statute language mirroring the pandemic-era order so that a single certified emergency medical provider could be the only required medical caregiver on an ambulance crew while another person who is a member of the fire department or the transporting agency serves as the driver. Representative Mark Prue, a paramedic and deputy chief who aided in drafting the measure, said the change is aimed at sporadic shortages rather than a permanent shift in practice.

“We were able to use during COVID a firefighter as a driver of our ambulance, which helped us greatly,” Prue said. “It’s not that something that we’re gonna strive to use. We don’t wanna put 1 EMS and 1 firefighter driver unless it’s absolutely necessary. But we want that option so we can continue that care.”

Supporters said the policy is most needed in smaller towns that rely on on-call and volunteer crews and sometimes cannot staff two EMS-certified personnel for every ambulance. They described scenarios in which a single patient call and a simultaneous second call leave departments scraping for personnel and argue the driver role performed by a trained firefighter or other department member can keep ambulances moving to hospitals and protect patient outcomes while advanced life support intercepts arrive.

Opponents raised patient-safety concerns. Claudia Stewart, a Cheshire County commissioner and former EMT, said an ambulance is “more than a taxi” and that modern ambulances are a “rolling ER.” She argued a medically trained EMT who also drives can immediately assist the patient if conditions deteriorate during transport. “If during a transport additional help is needed and the driver is also an EMT, they can pull over, get in the back, and assist with life saving care,” Stewart said.

Committee members pressed for drafting changes and clarifications. Several asked that the bill make explicit that the driver must be a member of the department or otherwise meet minimum training and vehicle qualifications, and asked staff to provide the existing emergency rule language and any agency guidelines that would govern how the policy is implemented. Representative Weber and others asked whether the bill would forbid rulemakers from ever requiring two certified providers; sponsors said the drafting mirrored the pandemic language and they were open to working with the committee to clarify that the intent was to allow flexibility, not to require a single-provider model universally.

No formal action was taken; the committee closed the public hearing after testimony and questions and moved to other items on its calendar.

Why it matters: The debate pits two recurrent priorities — access and timeliness of care in under‑staffed rural and volunteer EMS systems vs. the patient-safety principle of keeping two clinically trained providers physically available for prehospital care. Supporters said the pandemic experience shows the approach can work if limited to specific, lower-acuity calls and if the driver is affiliated with the transporting agency; critics warned against codifying a standard that could reduce on-scene medical capability.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs (03/05/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Jennifer Rhodes, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the House Committee on Health and Human Services and Elderly Affairs that the measure grew out of requests from local volunteer fire chiefs struggling to staff emergency medical service (EMS) calls.\n\n“This is not my wheelhouse,” Rhodes said, identifying herself and explaining the bill came from a constituent and local fire chief. She told the committee that an emergency order during the pandemic allowed one provider to care for a patient while another person — often a firefighter — drove the ambulance, and that smaller towns still face staffing shortages that make that flexibility useful.","taxTitle","Public Works and Highways, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17759,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650421,"Committee hears sharp debate over bill to remove DHHS rulemaking power to add school vaccine mandates",1504,3779000,5283000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a&start=3779&end=5283","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a/thumbnail_3779000.jpg","/articles/6650421/New-Hampshire/Committee-hears-sharp-debate-over-bill-to-remove-DHHS-rulemaking-power-to-add-school-vaccine-mandates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650421-6246b095a05306074720afeb9f3b7988/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205628&Signature=AhtfZrqJPZ9nbkZBe~vbmyd9Fp-YxE46C-C6ttB10vmXbdgI5X2QvisE9zGwMp6OoyfRDsvHhyOGoO7LE-X4ygGD2hE7YLjZiByBvX-gqXKqrkXRUPspYnt57fPzEKYwSY~6dKrzsPOLuNmF~V2CtM4xY1SCNSnG~08tkn9Vs~IKtMybRWQk7tJNkms3B~Lo2qmohnwYmR~FlKUqgpJy4xMxkT8xGmfcI3RQHTFITOO5ydONpDn1CffzL8t8sGug9Us7hRsOG57KROLGrTy5su8OWr~dcPrClrypVajXuutD4CKHBEfQU4AYCPZbr6jJ0R1DMjnJVF6pdaLYUxNhqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Jim Cofalt, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee HB 357 would remove the commissioner’s authority under RSA 141‑C:20‑a to add vaccines to the school and childcare immunization schedule by rule and instead require any new mandates to be enacted by the Legislature.

“Our belief is that when we mandate any kind of medical intervention, that is an extraordinarily serious matter,” Cofalt said. He said the change would make policymakers rather than agency rulemakers decide whether to expand mandated vaccines.

The Department of Health and Human Services urged the committee to reject the bill. Colleen Smith, bureau chief for the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, and Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist, said the current rule‑making authority lets DHHS respond with deliberation, public input and speed when new evidence or an emerging threat requires action. Smith told the committee that administrative rules allow the department to specify vaccine dosing, ages and other operational details that do not fit well into statute.

\"The department believes that the current statute provides a rigorous and conservative approach that prioritizes public input, protects parental choice, and carefully allows for expediency in times of an emergent threat,\" Smith said.

Medical societies and front‑line clinicians also opposed the bill. Dr. Christine Arseneau, a primary care pediatrician and vice president of the New Hampshire chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said vaccine requirements protect vulnerable children who cannot be immunized and that outbreaks — notably recent measles clusters — can cause hospitalizations and, rarely, death. \"Sometimes otherwise healthy kids do suffer severe consequences from these vaccine preventable illnesses,\" she said.

Nurses and public‑health advocates said mandates and the administrative rule process are tools to achieve high coverage that protects the population. Pam DiNapoli, a registered nurse and school nurse in Manchester, told the committee that schools use a simple standardized form and that the department’s rulemaking and school paperwork together help administrators manage student records and exclusion decisions during outbreaks.

Opponents included parent‑advocacy groups and some speakers who argued the change would restore democratic accountability and parental choice. Melissa Blasek, a volunteer advocacy director with a national group, said HB 357 is about “restoring accountability, transparency, and most importantly, putting power back into the hands of the people.” Several parents and health‑freedom advocates argued that DHHS already coordinates vaccination procurement and federal funding and therefore carries an institutional interest in maintaining mandates.

Committee members pressed sponsors and DHHS on trade‑offs between the speed of rulemaking and legislative deliberation. Representative Lamontagne asked how quickly the Legislature could respond in an outbreak; DHHS and supporters said there are emergency administrative processes and statutory tools (for example, exclusion authority) the commissioner could use while the Legislature convened. Smith noted that administrative rules typically include a public comment period and legal review and that the last time a childhood vaccine was added by rule in New Hampshire was varicella in February 2003.

No committee vote was taken. The public hearing closed after a full docket of witnesses for and against the bill.

Why it matters: HB 357 frames a larger question about the proper balance between technical public‑health decisionmaking and legislative accountability. The outcome will affect how quickly and through what process New Hampshire can add vaccines to school and childcare requirements and how details such as dosing and age are specified.","Representative Jim Cofalt, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee HB 357 would remove the commissioner’s authority under RSA 141‑C:20‑a to add vaccines to the school and childcare immunization schedule by rule and instead require any new mandates to be enacted by the Legislature.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650416,"Sponsors seek to clarify religious‑exemption paperwork after county and school confusion; DHHS urges standardized form for outbreak response",643,10841000,11484000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a&start=10841&end=11484","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a/thumbnail_10841000.jpg","/articles/6650416/New-Hampshire/Sponsors-seek-to-clarify-religiousexemption-paperwork-after-county-and-school-confusion-DHHS-urges-standardized-form-for-outbreak-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650416-62d7f7e1cedd8a1af9ef054f5aae8f2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205628&Signature=g1gMMnmY9NIsMQIqKKAIos6NwnIViOtfK72E~xmBPoGDE-eIYh6ZvFhK1-b2mdFZnvLDLzfLkrZyemO7vXIigLbq38HJznIsALv92JmcXsHRlNsBIpPE8YslmtL7qbbMKJjnPHKZJyK3Y9-3Mls~S~qikC4JBV38-ghhNKq~gSe9fYFvlBF-9hU8aJzL1LRYcz8hQHutuk-iZeOPuh6qHsbb9HKu13zqu~MlZadLBdG8qzDD22zUX5~J2lt~k6t0hb0Sx6iqSbzDMtnf01HBqQb23B-C12K-lJ1UZt81Fugghm1JwOREW69bN~rN3-yeUrEQnvPNc9arpIm~G89tAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Jim Kofalt, sponsor of HB 358, told the committee the bill responds to an unintended consequence of 2022 legislation that removed the notarization requirement for religious exemptions. The 2022 change used the word \"form,\" which Kofalt said led DHHS and some school districts to treat a DHHS‑produced template as the exclusive way to claim a religious exemption.

\"The passage of a bill with the word form in it prompted the Department of Health and Human Services to create a form,\" Kofalt told the committee. \"That was not the original intent. The purpose of this bill is to clarify unequivocally that the statute should reflect the original intent … to remove the requirement that a parent's request for religious exemption to immunizations required for school attendance be notarized.\"

Representative Erica Leon, who served on the committee that drafted the 2022 change and participated in the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JELCAR) review of the DHHS template, said the committee never intended the DHHS document to be exclusive. \"When we approve the form offered by the Department of Health and Human Services and JELCAR, it was under the idea that it was 1 potential form that as a convenience a parent could sign, but never under the expectation that it was the only way to, actually show that you are using a religious exemption,\" Leon said.

DHHS witnesses asked the committee to reject HB 358. Colleen Smith and Dr. Benjamin Chan said the agency’s optional form helps schools and child‑care centers consistently collect information — including an optional line where a parent may list which vaccines are being exempted — so school administrators can identify and exclude unvaccinated children quickly during an outbreak. Smith also noted the agency observed a rise in reported religious exemptions after the notary requirement was removed.

\"We have concerns that that this would take away a standardized way for schools to collect this information,\" Smith said. \"This benefits them in having a defined process with clear information collected so they can clearly identify which child is seeking this exemption.\" Dr. Chan added that schools keep these records locally and report aggregate exemption counts to the department.

School nurses told the committee the DHHS form is a practical tool for school medical records and recordkeeping even when parents do not complete the optional vaccine details. Pam DiNapoli, a Manchester school nurse, said schools commonly receive the student paperwork in packets at the start of the year and store signed exemption forms in medical files; school nurses rely on the form to find exemption status when students move between districts and to implement exclusion procedures during outbreaks.

Parents and advocacy witnesses spoke in favor of the bill. Laura Condon, a volunteer advocacy director for the National Vaccine Information Center, said the law change should make clear that a signed statement is sufficient and that parents should not be forced to use a single agency template.

Representative Kofalt said he drafted HB 358 to restore the intent of the earlier law and to head off inconsistent local enforcement that has caused confusion for parents and school administrators. The committee closed the public hearing; no vote was taken that day.

Why it matters: The practical issue is narrow—whether schools may require the DHHS template — but it implicates larger questions about parental rights, administrative processes, and how schools and public‑health authorities track and respond to infectious‑disease exposures.","Representative Jim Kofalt told the committee HB 358 would clarify that parents may provide a signed statement — not only a DHHS‑issued template — to claim a religious exemption from school or child‑care immunization requirements.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6650412,"Executive‑session votes: committee records mixed outcomes on resolutions and bills",1520,17446000,18966000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a&start=17446&end=18966","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2508171-2eaf68e952c1e70a0261aaf60721626a/thumbnail_17446000.jpg","/articles/6650412/New-Hampshire/Executivesession-votes-committee-records-mixed-outcomes-on-resolutions-and-bills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650412-3e338eb4110a7fdb80346366873e8750/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205628&Signature=PwrLcoGDr5yHsXbh-7hhQLPTafiKSjpM5AkqLNEuYmekUY37Cb5P4YV8otvw-WUu4cvIV9CCNwbnHzW4oqqzbI1yfIVgDxFApo8QCIGGQsbKKee50sUo8e~itH~-eson4rblLKX3hg3AX11JFgiTKwV3fsHgKnwj1meOLid6xSXKpSTjt~eZvFsPhSmRmYyvabdntFFxaPPfhINbMf9MUjfkqxae78RF-CC9fIMOvlZeW5WLCKA9bzKx4Ds547Oj4XGKvf8XrwbSLAn0e1zY5BB0bPm12g7sZTG4SHOSGlSGkhmPFYCRwMHtbt86LXAabbRSfXbG0muA7vKT3nHCJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Health and Human Services and Elderly Affairs took several formal actions during its executive session. The committee’s roll calls and outcomes were recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance

- House Resolution 7. Motion: Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL). Outcome: Passed 10–8. Mover: Representative Mazur (motion); second recorded. Committee discussion focused on whether the resolution would divert attention from other pressing women’s‑health and social-service priorities.

- House Resolution 16. The committee considered an amendment and then the underlying resolution. The amendment vote tied and failed to produce a majority; the committee then voted on the resolution without the amendment. Final outcome: Ought to Pass (OTP) on the resolution stripped of the tied amendment; recorded roll call 10–8 in favor. The committee discussion included concerns that the amendment politicized the underlying recognition of frontline workers.

- HB 117 (pharmacy/biosimilars substitution). Motion: Ought to Pass (OTP). Outcome: Passed unanimously 18–0. Deposited on consent for the calendar.

- HB 732 (psychotropic‑drug consent for Medicaid school services). The committee voted to adopt a technical amendment and then voted Ought to Pass as Amended (OTPA). Final recorded vote: 10–8 in favor. Committee members discussed scope, literacy of medication handouts and whether the measure should apply more broadly than Medicaid school programs.

What this means: The committee produced both bipartisan and split outcomes. HB 117 — easing substitution for some biologic/biosimilar pharmacy practice — cleared the committee unanimously and will move forward. The resolution votes reflect partisan or policy splits within the panel. Several items returned to the calendar or were assigned reports for majority/minority language.","During executive session the committee recorded votes on multiple items: House Resolution 7 (ITL 10–8), House Resolution 16 (OTP 10–8), HB 117 (OTP 18–0), and HB 732 (OTPA 10–8).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to restore COVID-era option letting firefighter drive ambulance when EMT staffing is low

Committee hears sharp debate over bill to remove DHHS rulemaking power to add school vaccine mandates

Sponsors seek to clarify religious‑exemption paperwork after county and school confusion; DHHS urges standardized form for outbreak response

Executive‑session votes: committee records mixed outcomes on resolutions and bills